Mitch McConnell's scorched-earth strategy

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky is the Bluegrass State, but by the time Mitch McConnell is done with his reelection campaign, it may be better known for scorched earth.

The top Senate Republican is preparing to wage a ruthless campaign to hang on to his job. He’s already on the air with nearly $200,000 in TV and radio ads, is assembling streams of data to target voters with tailor-made messages, and has quietly moved to lock down support from virtually every state GOP legislator. He says he’ll use “every penny” of a war chest certain to exceed the $21 million he spent in 2008.

Mitch McConnell's DSCC ad

McConnell’s strategy is similar to recent efforts by Senate stalwarts Majority Leader Harry Reid and John McCain, who each won reelection with big fundraising numbers to discourage possible opponents and constant attack ads to discredit those who do run.

The bull’s-eye on McConnell’s back has never been larger — tea party foes are unhappy with some of his compromises over his three-decade career, and Democrats see both a prime pick-up opportunity and a chance to knock off the opposition GOP leader. But neither have recruited a challenger yet, and McConnell isn’t waiting for his opponents to field one.

“My view is if you’re going to be a bigger target, you’re going to adopt different tactics,” McConnell told POLITICO in a wide-ranging interview this week before Judd dropped out. “I think we’ve made it pretty clear … that we intend to be very aggressive from Day One. And we are. And that involves not ignoring any potential opponent.”

The focus now shifts to Alison Lundergan Grimes, the 34-year-old Kentucky secretary of state. If Grimes doesn’t run, which is quite possible, Democrats could be without a top-tier candidate to take on the GOP leader.

With GOP primaries threatening entrenched incumbents all over the country, the 71-year-old McConnell has worked aggressively to win over major players in the tea party movement through aggressive outreach, fundraising and efforts to help them politically.

He’s also trying to walk a tightrope by embracing policies that appeal to the GOP base — like repealing Obamacare — but also touting his efforts to cut bipartisan deals that could appeal to middle-of-the-road voters.

McConnell said he’s considering backing a gun control bill being quietly drafted by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that would serve as a Republican alternative during next month’s floor debate on Democratic legislation that would expand background checks on firearm purchasers. But he said he’d oppose a more sweeping gun-control measure proposed by Reid.

On spending, McConnell used to hype the pet projects he brought home as a sign of his clout in Washington. But now that earmarks have been eliminated and the conservative base rails against the deficit and new spending, he provides the red meat by attacking President Barack Obama and the Democratic budget plans.

But in the next breath, McConnell promotes his central role in drafting three controversial bipartisan deals with the White House: the year-end tax accord in 2010; the 2011 Budget Control Act; and the 2013 New Year’s Day law to avert the fiscal cliff.